The Sega Master System is a peculiar part of video game history.
It was middling compared to its contemporaries.
Not a major success but not the most laughable failure.
Notthe greatest consoleof the time but not the worst either.
A huge step up from the SG-1000, but completely overshadowedby the Sega Genesis.
There was little tangible identity to the Master System.
It was theotherconsole you could get, and that was it.
It lacked the energy of the NES or the attitude of the Genesis.
It was simply run-of-the-mill.
Yet…it found life beyond expectations.
In its own unorthodox way, it lived on far longer than many realized.
What games truly defined Segas second console through the years?
Lets take a look.
It basically took the blueprint of Outrun but made it about motorcycles.
Ad content continues below
The game is pretty simple, but addictive.
The other games were eitherSafari HuntorAstro Warrior, depending on the bundle.
Plus there wasSnail Maze, which was built into the Master System itself.
Those colorspoppedoff the screen and really made all the difference when more cartoony games were involved.
Few games truly show this feast for the eyes better than the early Sega releaseFantasy Zone.
It is another arcade port, but one of the more accurate ones on the console.
Someone who could out-Mario Mario.
A platformer they could build the console around.
And he is tired of these jokes about it (the first such instance occurred in 1956…).
There were other unique platformer mechanics thrown in, plus the occasional game of rock-paper-scissor against bosses.
Ah,theDie Hardeffect.
Weird for them to bury his body in Greece, but whatever.
It was that game that you saw, and you immediately knew it was a huge deal.
It was premium gaming.
You knew that no home console could ever hope to reach visuals or gameplay.
Well, the Master System gave it an attempt.
All things considered, it did all right!
It came out a year afterDragon Questand mere days afterFinal Fantasy.
While those two games were hurt by limited action and simple visuals, Phantasy Star was on another level.
Not only are these underground mazes animated incredibly smoothly, but the enemies and their attacks also look brilliant.
Its an amazing total package that still holds up today.
Something really funny about this game is that Sega didnt know how to really market it in America.
Not a single piece of footage or context.
And one of his friends was Kevin Connolly!
Some of the games were just rereleases with the technology added in, likeOutrunandSpace Harrier.
Then you getZaxxon 3D.
Enemies and trench walls would come at you in a way that truly gave the illusion of depth.
It was just generic and hard to judge where to shoot.
Seeing the shuriken-tossing minigame on commercials really gave you the idea that this whole thing was next level.
Golden Axe Warrior (1991)
In 1989,Bomber Raidwas released.
Yes, the home team was calling it quits.
That meant North America would spend a couple of years getting titles that would never set foot in Japan.
Kind of nuts, right?
As well get into in a second, thats just the tip of the iceberg.
Golden Axe Warriorwas NOT an arcade port.
Well, not so much new as new forGolden Axe.
They took the world of the game and made a very blatantLegend of Zeldaclone.
The Genesis had Blast Processing, which Nintendidnt.
They couldnt make a game likeSonicif they tried!
So anyway, this other 8-bit console was going to have a Sonic game.
Obviously, it doesnt hold a candle to the original, but it still does an awful lot.
Developed by Ancient, it didnt have a go at be an attempt at a duplicate game.
Hell, it even has an auto-scrolling level mixed in there, which feels weird.
Aladdinis the one that truly stands out.
See what I did there?
Brazil was a haven for the console, like Hasselhoff in Germany or Spinal Tap in Japan.
Yes, this thing lasted long enough that there was aVirtua Fightergame on it.
It was basically just the Game Gear version on a bigger screen.
